Departmental Dispatch Hag 57/48 THE HAGUE, 1 November 1948
CONFIDENTIAL
SUBJECT: DUTCH NEW GUINEA
With reference to your memorandum No. 123 (file 336/1) [1] dated 12th October, 1948, it was announced here in the press on the 13th September that the Dutch Federations of New Guinea Organisations, comprising nine Societies in the Netherlands and Indonesia, had presented an address to the Dutch Government asking that the status of a Crown Colony be granted to New Guinea before the establishment of the Indonesian Interim Federal Government and before the United States of Indonesia were formed de jure on January 1st, 1949.
2. It was urged in the address that the official plans for the settlements at Manokwari and elsewhere should be put into effect as soon as possible in order to lay the foundations for the migration of Indonesians in social difficulties, Indo-Europeans and also Netherlanders from Holland.
3. It was suggested that the political internees should be used to open up roads in the interior of New Guinea and especially to the mountainous centre which would provide the best chances for successful settlement by Netherlanders from the home country.
4. The economic rights of present and future settlers in New Guinea including ground and water rights, concessions, labour laws, regulations for the admission of Indonesians and aliens, should be regulated by law. This should be based on existing Dutch legislation, regulations operative in the neighbouring Australian territory and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
Particularly those regarding the treatment of undeveloped peoples should be taken into account to ensure approval both of the Security Council and of the members of the South Pacific Commission.
5. I enclose:-
ANNEXURE A A press report from Batavia which appeared here on 21st September which deals with the plan for developing New Guinea. [2]
ANNEXURE B A press report from Batavia dated 8th October, concerning a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister, Mr Drees. [3]
ANNEXURE C A press report from Amsterdam dated 24th October, concerning a lecture delivered by Professor C.T. Bertling. [4]
6. Recently Dr. W.K.H. Feuilletau de BRUYN, a former member of the N.E.I. VOLKSRAAD and now editor of the NIEUW-GUINEA TIJDSCHRIFT, called to ask for copies of the ‘Pacific Islands Monthly’. While here he expressed alarm at the growing Communist infiltration into South East Asia. To save New Guinea, he was of the opinion that the Government should take immediate steps to grant Crown Colony status outside the influence of United States of Indonesia. He was anxious to see New Guinea develop as a ‘Christian’ country which would supply a home for Dutch and Indo-Europeans from Indonesia and also Dutch emigrants from here. Dr. de Bruyn’s views on the Indonesian situation as a whole were very conservative but his remarks are passed on to you for what they are worth.
7. It is noticeable that public interest in New Guinea is increasing but I still doubt whether the Government has taken any decision as to its political status.
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1 Not found.
2 A report of a plan, submitted to the Netherlands Government, to investigate whether large-scale European migration to the hinterland of Manokwari and Geelvink Bay in northern New Guinea was feasible.
3 The memorandum, submitted to Drees by ‘the party of Indies Dutchmen’, argued that Dutch New Guinea had a better future as a member of the USI than as a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
4 The lecture concerned the exploration and aerial surveying of New Guinea.
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[AA:A4231/2, 1948 THE HAGUE]